Pleiotropic expression of genes involved in neurotransmitters metabolism

SABIO, GA; ROSSI, FA; QUESADA-ALLUÉ, L.A.; PÉREZ, M.M.

Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

Congreso; 46th Annual Meeting-Argentine Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research/XLV Reunión anual-Sociedad Argentina de Investigacion en Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular; 2010

Sociedad Argentina de Investigacion en Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular

The acylation of neurotransmitters is important for the homeostasis of neural system but also gives rise to important metabolites in insects. The best known are N-â-alanyldopamine (NBAD), the main sclerotization precursor of insect brown cuticles, and carcinine (N-â-alanylhistamine), an essential compound of the visual system. Key enzymes of this metabolism are NBAD-synthase (NBAD-S) and NBAD-hydrolase (NBAD-H) which synthesizes and hydrolyzes â-alanyl derivatives respectively. These enzymes seem to function together in a system regulating the levels of NBAD and dopamine during cuticle sclerotization and of neurotransmitters in nervous tissue. Our aim was to study the expression of NBAD-S and NBAD-H in different tissues during the life cycle of flies. We also attempt to decipher the role of â-alanyl derivatives. We studied protein expression by western blots, immunohistochemistry and enzymatic activities. Mutant flies were subjected to behavioral studies. We found that the two enzymes are expressed during the whole life cycle, from embryo to adult. NBAD-S is expressed periodically in epidermis whereas NBAD-H is active in a constitutive manner. Both enzymes are expressed constitutively in neural tissue. Our results show that NBAD-S and NBAD-H are significant during the development of insects and for the physiological balance of neural tissue.